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Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board Special Data Dissemination Standard (AS PROVIDED TO THE IMF BY THE RESPECTIVE COUNTRY)   Costa Rica Price index: Consumer prices (Consumer Price Index ) Last Posted: Jun-16-2008 Last Certified: Apr-23-2009 Last Updated: Apr-30-2005 Contact Person(s)          Printer Friendly Page   Ms. Odette Navarro Solano, Price Indices Unit, Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC), Mercedes de Montes de Oca. De la Rotonda de la Bandera, 450 metros oeste sobre la Calle Los Negritos. Edificio Ana Lorena, antiguo IDA, San Jose, Costa Rica   Phone : 506 280-9280, ext. 367   Fax : 506 224-2221   Email : inecinfo@racsa.co.cr  Dissemination Formats Summary Methodology Access National Summary Data Page Cross-country comparisons: access the DSBB metadata query facility

The Data: Coverage, Periodicity, and Timeliness
Coverage characteristics	5.1.1 Statistical presentation Data are disseminated on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) (January 1995=100) using a Laspeyres index. The index covers the first four sub regions of the central region of Costa Rica-the urban areas of San José, Alajuela, Cartago, and Heredia. The CPI consumption basket is composed of 264 goods and services divided into eight groups: food; beverages and tobacco; clothing and footwear; housing, furniture and accessories; medical care; transportation; recreation and education; and other goods and services. Surveys conducted monthly of 1,100 establishments are used to compile approximately 12,500 prices. These prices are collected monthly, with the exception of housing rental prices, for which three samples are visited quarterly. Prices include the value and applicable taxes. Weights are based on the national household income and expenditure survey conducted between November 1987 and November 1988. No exact date has yet been established for revision of weights or for the change in base for the index. The authorities are, however, considering another survey in the medium term and a change in the index base at some time in the future.
Periodicity	4.1.1 Periodicity Monthly
Timeliness	4.1.2 Timeliness Third business day after the reference month.
Access by the Public
Advance dissemination of release calendar	5.1.3 Advance release calendar An advance release calendar which gives one-quarter-ahead notice of the precise release dates is disseminated on the INEC's Internet website: http://www.inec.go.cr  and on the IMF's Data Dissemination Bulletin Board (http://dsbb.imf.org). The public is informed of this through a press release.
Simultaneous release to all interested parties	5.1.4 Simultaneous release The data are simultaneously released to all interested parties through a press release on the consumer price index issued by management that provides the key CPI results for the reference month. The data are released between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on the indicated date.
Integrity
Dissemination of terms and conditions under which official statistics are produced, including those relating to the confidentiality of individually identifiable information	0.1.1 Responsibility for collecting, processing, and disseminating statistics Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) The compilation and dissemination of statistical data are governed by the terms and conditions of the Law 7839 of November 4, 1998 on the National Statistics System. Law 7839: Article 2 Governs the production, preparation, and dissemination of statistics. Article 3. In generating statistical information, the government agencies comprising the national statistics system shall apply a standardized system of concepts, definitions, statistical units, classifications, nomenclatures, and codes to allow for comparison, integration, and analysis of the data and results. To that end, INEC shall issue the appropriate technical regulation. Article 11. Information may be provided in writing or on electronic media, subject to compliance with this law. The information requested by INEC shall be provided free of charge. Article 15. Empowers INEC to prepare the following national statistics: (a) statistics from administrative records; (b) statistics from national population and housing censuses; (c) statistics from multipurpose household surveys, agricultural surveys, household income and expenditure surveys, economic surveys, consumer price index surveys, producer price index surveys, foreign trade surveys, etc. Article 51. Violations of the statistical confidentiality requirements provided in this law, by government officials or other individuals or legal entities providing services to units of the national statistics system, shall be punishable under Article 203 of the Criminal Code, and shall also constitute a serious offense for labor purposes, where government officials are concerned. 0.1.3 Confidentiality of individual reporters' data Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) The compilation and dissemination of statistical data are governed by the terms and conditions of the Law 7839 of November 4, 1998 on the National Statistics System. Law 7839, Article 4. Agencies and units comprising the national statistics system shall compile and manage statistical data in accordance with the principles of statistical confidentiality, transparency, speciality, and proportionality. 1.2.1 Disclosure of terms and conditions for statistical collection, processing, and dissemination Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) Copies of the law are available in Spanish at the INEC's webpage at www.inec.go.cr  and at the INEC Information Center for a fee equal to the cost of the copies. Tel (506) 258-0033, Fax (506) 223-0813, e-mail: inecinfo@racsa.co.cr.
Identification of internal government access to data before release	1.2.2 Internal governmental access to statistics prior to release Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) No government officials have access to the data before they are released to the public.
Identification of ministerial commentary on the occasion of statistical releases	1.2.3 Attribution of statistical products Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) There is no ministerial commentary accompanying the release of the data.
Provision of information about revision and advance notice of major changes in methodology	4.3.1 Revision schedule The data are considered definitive when first released and are not subject to further revision. 1.2.4 Advance notice of major changes in methodology, source data, and statistical techniques. Methodological changes are made only when there is a change in the base year. These changes will be published in the methodological report on the Consumer Price Index. This report can be obtained in Spanish, for a fee, from Marita Beguerí Pagés, telephone (506) 258-0033; e-mail inecinfo@racsa.co.cr ; and fax (506) 223-0813.
Quality
Dissemination of documentation on methodology and sources used in preparing statistics	5.2.1 Dissemination of documentation on concepts, scope, classifications, basis of recording, data sources, and statistical techniques Some methodological aspects are included in the monthly bulletin on the consumer price index. Further details can be found in the leaflet on consumer price indices, January 1995 = 100 (Indice de Precios al Consumidor, Enero 1995=100), which summarizes the key methodological aspects of the change in base year for the CPI. These Spanish-language publications are available, for a fee, from the Information Center, INEC, Calle Central, Avenida 4, Edificio Rex, 5° Piso, Apartado Postal 10163-100, San José, Costa Rica. (See also summary methodology)
Dissemination of component detail, reconciliations with related data, and statistical frameworks that support statistical cross-checks and provide assurance of reasonableness	4.2.1 Internal consistency The monthly bulletin on the consumer price index, Indice de Precios al Consumidor published detailed data on: (1) indices by group and subgroup for the reference month, (2) series with monthly changes comparing the reference year with the previous year, (3) the goods and services which effected the index change for the reference month; and (4) illustrative graphics of the data. 4.2.2 Temporal consistency The following data series are available on INEC's Internet website (www.inec.go.cr ): (1) monthly series by group, 1996–2000; (2) monthly series of the general index, monthly change and cumulative change, 1996–2000.
Footnotes Last posted: Date IMF staff last posted an update to these metadata on the DSBB. Last certified: Date subscriber last officially certified the accuracy of these metadata. Last updated: Date subscriber last submitted an update of these metadata to the IMF.